From: "Peter Jovanovic" <peterzoran-AT-hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: AUT: Perplexing Peter
Date: Tue, 12 Mar 2002 18:28:10 +1100


hi all

It seems I have become the lightning rod for all of Scott Hamilton's 
problems with 'autonomists' and 'Negrians'. Despite many other people on 
this list espousing similar politics I am the recipient of nearly all of 
Scott's vitriol on this matter.

BTW I consider myself neither an autonomist nor a Negrian. Irrespective of 
the correctness of 'Empire' I would be an 'anti-anti-imperialist'.

Below for what I sincerely hope will be the last time is my reply to the 
profoundly boring Scott.

>Tell the Somali refugees who are getting beaten up by >thugs mobilised 
>after S 11 that you have better things >to do, until the great proletarian 
>revolt kicks off.

Excellent Scott you've mastered the great leftist ploy of accusing opponents 
of racism. I'm not helping Somalis fight racist thugs, so I must be a racist 
myself.

>Tell my Iraqi friend who has lost half his extended >family due to 
>imperialism that you don't want to do >anything right now for fear of being 
>contaminated by >Bolshevism. I think you'd soon be needing all your >kung 
>fu skills, if you attempted such explanations...

So should I tell your Iraqi friend to go back to Iraq and join Saddam's 
army?

Something I have never seen you address in many debates on this topic is the 
issue of conscription into/desertion from 'anti-imperialist armies'. So how 
about telling us if the Iraqi and Yugoslav conscripts were right to desert 
and thus cause the defeat of their 'anti-imperialist' governments.

I've got a Bosnian Serb friend who was doing his compulsory service in the 
Yugoslav army in Slovenia when war broke out there. His mum came and took 
him home. Should he have stayed to fight for the glorious anti-imperialist 
socialist Yugoslavia? Or did you support Croatia, Bosnia and the KLA? The 
dilemnas of anti-imperialism - which nationalist racket should we be 
cheerleading for?

I'm opposed to all of capitalisms military adventures, but that doesn't mean 
I support anti-imperialist states or states in waiting.

>When Peter talks of 'futility of Leninist campaign >groups', he is talking 
>about the efforts of the >Anti-Imperialist Coalition, the Auckland grouping 
>set >up after S 11.

Actually I meant the Leninist fronts I'm familiar with in Canberra. The AIC 
does seem somewhat better or at least larger than them.

>Does he have the right, >though, to liken the results achieved by the AIC 
>and
>similar groups to the results of his own peculiar >supermilitant quietism?

Lets talk about militantcy shall we. I have a critique of it. It seems you 
do not. Are you thus happy in your militant role - that is do you like being 
a specialist in social change? I'm not happy with 'supermilitant quietism' 
but I see no better alternative for now.

>Perhaps Peter has a retraction to make?

OK Scott it seems like the AIC has done some good things despite the 
lameness of its politics. Now can you please find yourself another email 
nemesis.

Peter

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